"Tralles" hydrometer

[Grayson_Stewart]

Brought over from old forum

Snowblind_moose
(stranger)
09/23/02 03:00 PM
"Tralles" hydrometer



I have a "tralles" hydrometer. It reads % alcohol (which it calls "tralles scales") & proof. I'm a newbie. I'm waitin' for my 1st mash to finish. I have run a diluted bottle of cheap wine through my "paint pail" pot still. I'm impressed & can hardly wait. I've been testing my hydrometer - trouble is it reads comercial beer (5.5% alcohol) at 0%, and water at 5%. Is my hydrometer screwed?, Is it just not sensitive at low %?, or am I using it wrong? I got it used, without instructions. I figured it's obvious - float it in a liquid and read where it lines up with the surface. Pls. help - I've only got a few days 'till I make my 1st run.

LOVE THE WEB-SITE!!! THANX A HEAP!

S.M.

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Dirk
(stranger)
09/25/02 03:32 AM
Re: "Tralles" hydrometer [re: Snowblind_moose]



A hydrometer measures density. A higher density liquid makes the hydrometer float higher.

Ethanol has a lower density than water and mixtures of ethanol and water have densities in between.

Beer has a HIGHER density than water (because all the other components inside). That's why the hydrometer floats higher in beer than in water, despite the ethanol inside.

That you read it 0% for beer and 5% for water is most probably because of higher ambient temperatures, warm liquids. A warmer liquid has a lower density. Hydrometers are designed for ambient temperatures of 15°C or 20°C. For use at higher or lower temperatures, corrections have to be made in order to know the true ethanol content. Normally, a correction table should be included with your hydrometer.

Eventually your hydrometer is off: at the right temperature, pure water should give a reading of 1 for density and thus 0% for ethanol.

Know also that when you use a hydrometer with a short scale between 0 and 100%, the reading is bound to be pretty inaccurate. Hydrometers for ethanol can be bought for specific ranges: for example 75%-100%. These are more precise.

Greetings,
Dirk

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Snowblind_moose
(stranger)
09/25/02 11:26 AM
Re: "Tralles" hydrometer [re: Dirk]



Thanx Dirk!

You've explained why the beer reading is off - (it's obvious when you think about it - beer is a dense liquid) My hydrometer reads my mash at 28%! (a "superyeast" and sugar mash) When I re-calibrate by the amout that my distilled water (at room temp.) reading is out (the distance on the scale - not the %) - it calculates to 18 - 20%. I'm gonna run it like this. By comparing the temp. that my "hearts" come off at to the graph (distilation temp. and concentration relationship) - I should be able to verify my adjustments.

I live a long way from the nearest town where I'd be able to purchase a new hydrometer. This'll have to do for now. I'll post my results in a few days.

Again, thank-you for replying.

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Dirk
(stranger)
09/26/02 02:23 AM
Re: "Tralles" hydrometer [re: Snowblind_moose]



I suspect that you're using only ONE hydrometer ???

(Well, you actually could because you're just measuring density of liquids, so with different scales and enough tables...)

But, normally TWO different hydrometers are used. One for sugar solutions and one for ethanol solutions (the one you have).

You cannot use your "tralles" hydrometer for measuring ethanol in a wash, even just a sugar wash! There is sugar in solution and this sugar will "falsify" the reading.

In a sugar wash, you measure density in order to know how much sugar is in solution at a certain moment. When the reading has decreased to around 1.000 you know that all (or most) of the sugar is converted. Then you can distill.

When you measure the initial density of a wash, you can calculate how much % ethanol this wash will contain after full fermentation. But this is not necessary when you've added the sugar yourself. No measuring needed, you worked according the recipe. Calculating is easy: so much sugar = so much alcohol.

You'll only need a hydrometer to find out when all the sugar has been digested. The percentage of ethanol is really not so important at this stage.

You could use your hydrometer only in this sense that when all the sugar has been converted it should read around 0% alcohol (= density around 1.000).

You'll only get the right use of your hydrometer when you'll measure the distilled product: a single solution of ethanol and water.

Sincerely,
Dirk

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Snowblind_moose
(stranger)
09/26/02 12:23 PM
Re: "Tralles" hydrometer [re: Dirk]



You are right in that I was trying to get away with using only one hydrometer for now. I've read the web-site in it's entirety and know that I should have two (the one I have and one for higher s.g. - .997 - 1.100) The equipment that I have at the moment is from an "old-timer" who no longer uses his. The hydrometer is old and the paper scale inside has probably shifted - but with recalibration it should sufice. The good news is that I "let my fingures do the walking" yesterday throught the Winnipeg yellow pages under "beer and wine making supplies" and found a guy who is willing to ship me what I need via Parcel post.

Thank-you very much for your time and advice. I'm going to give my mash another day to settle and then run it through. My next batch will be more precise.

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1090
(stranger)
09/26/02 01:17 PM
Re: "Tralles" hydrometer [re: Snowblind_moose]



Seeing that you live in Winterpeg,you should check out
http://www.brewhaus.com/,who" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow are located in Calgary.
They carry Gert Strand product lines.

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Snowblind_moose
(stranger)
09/26/02 03:57 PM
Re: "Tralles" hydrometer [re: 1090]



Thanx - but I live in the bush 300 miles N/W of Winnipeg - it's the closest city - Moonshiners Unlimited is being real heplful with mail order.